El país del tango was the scenario for many important events in 2018, even within the context of a national economic crisis that has risen Argentina’s inflación to its highest peak since the 90’s. Let’s delve into the most interesting events that made Argentina show up on the news this year.

A new satellite in the sky

On October 7^th, Saocom 1A was put into orbit, a satélite completely designed and produced by CONAE, Argentina’s NASA equivalent.

Weighing three tons and provided with a 10-meter antenna, the newest nave espacial from the South American country is part of an intricate network of satellites created along with Italy. Its mission? To track soil humidity, no matter the weather conditions below.

The Youth Olympic Games

One of the most important sporting events took place in Buenos Aires in October. This time it was the third edition of the Juegos Olímpicos de la Juventud. New disciplines such as breaking (competitive breakdancing), BMX freestyle, karate, and others were added to the Olympic program.

Efforts were made to increase gender balance in the Games. In fact, the number of female participants equaled their male counterparts.

Another nice detail: it was the first time an Olympic Games’ opening ceremony was held on the streets of a city. More than 200,000 people gathered at Avenida 9 de Julio to welcome the 206 National Olympic Committees and witness an amazing open-air show.

The G20 Summit

During the first week of December, Buenos Aires became the capital of the world, as it saw the arrival and short stays of the jefes de Estado o de Gobierno from the 20 most powerful countries regarding political influence and economic output.

Many firsts occurred as part of this event: It was the first-ever G20 Summit to be held in a South American country; it was also the first time a British prime minister visited the country after la Guerra de las Malvinas.

Dialogue focused on three points: The future of work, infrastructure for development and a sustainable food future.

La Copa Libertadores

Argentina’s two main football clubs, Boca Juniors and River Plate, known for their rivalry and their supporters’ passion, faced one another on the field to define who the best South American football team was.

El Superclásico’s second leg didn’t take place in Argentina given the riots and attacks to the Boca Juniors team by River Plate’s barras bravas, causing the event to be rescheduled and moved to Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu. It was the first time an event of this magnitude didn’t take place on the continent it was supposed to be held. Despite all the brouhaha, River Plate emerged victorious and took la copa home.

In brief, Argentina caught the world’s attention in 2018, a newsworthy year for science, sports, politics, and economic matters.

What interesting events took place in your country this year?

 

Words to learn:

Barras bravas: group of hard-line supporters

Copa: coup

Guerra de las Malvinas: Falklands War

Jefes de Estado o de Gobierno: Heads of State or government

Juegos Olímpicos de la Juventud: Youth Olympic Games

Inflación: Inflation

Nave especial: Spacecraft

Satélite: Satellite

Superclásico: Derby